NILES — Candles, string lights and lamplight cast a warm glow onto six yoga mats in a dim room. Quiet music floats among pillows, blankets, blocks and lacrosse balls with swirled ice cream patterns.

Next to each yoga mat is a tote bag with sanitizer, tissues and a face mask. A towel warmer sits at the room’s edge.

Calmly walking between the yoga mats, steadily giving instructions is Catherine Peña-Awad.

Such will be the scene for yomassage, an upcoming service offered by Massage Life, 1990 St. 11th St., Unit 13, Niles.

This year, Peña-Awad became certified for the growing service trend, itself only three years old. She is one of a handful of certified yomassage instructors in the state and the only one in southwest Michigan, to her knowledge.

Peña-Awad will begin offering yomassage classes in January, which will blend yoga and massage together.

She will guide up to six clients at a time through various poses using props. All the while, she will move from person to person, massaging certain areas of their bodies to help with the yoga position.

Like yoga, there will also be a focus on meditation.

Peña-Awad and her daughter gave a demonstration of one of the class’s five-minute poses.

Her daughter sat atop a stack of two firm pillows on a yoga mat, knees in line with her ankles. Back straight, hands on her knees, her daughter closed her eyes and fell into a deeper breathing.

Then, Peña-Awad approached her daughter’s back, and massaged her neck and shoulder area while her daughter held her yoga pose.

“They can really improve your sleeping, your range of emotion, feeling good,” Peña-Awad said of yoga and massage together.

Peña-Awad believes that among those who could benefit most from the hour-long class of alternating yoga poses are those prone to soreness or injury. She sees the need firsthand at Massage Life and her other job as a chiropractor.

“They don’t stretch enough, and they cause injuries at work,” she said. “That’s why they come to Massage [Life], because they’re sore. Their muscles tighten up. They have chronic pain.”

While in some traditional massage sessions, Peña-Awad may apply deep pressure, which can cause soreness on its own, yomassage only requires light to moderate pressure.

If clients are worried about holding yoga positions rather than massage pressure, Peña-Awad said not to worry. She will adjust certain positions with the help of pillows, blocks and blankets to minimize strain on a pose while maximizing its stretch.

“We’re going to do everything to get the best results for you,” she said.

Peña-Awad said she thinks her regular massage clients that take a yomassage class may leave more inclined to take a typical yoga class, and yoga enthusiasts may find a new liking for massage.

The Massage Life owner made clear she was not a salesperson, however. She said she wants to help others live happier, healthier lives.

If it had not been for the March/April, 2019 issue of Massage & Body Work magazine, Peña-Awad would not have found out about yomassage. The treatment began in Portland, Oregon studio, which an article featured.

It has since spread to many other states. Peña-Awad got her license with other message therapists at a group licensing session in Indianapolis.

From a business perspective, the 1991 Niles High School graduate believes yomassage will be a beneficial boost for her business, now more than a year old.

Massage Life’s other services, from traditional massages to aromatherapy, require an appointment, but prospective yomassage clients should keep an eye out for class times. Clients can stay up to date by calling (269) 259-9800, following its Facebook page or by visiting in person.